For individuals born in the United States in the year 2000, the estimated lifetime risk for developing diabetes is 32.8% for males and 38.5% for females, with Hispanic Americans having estimated life time risks for diabetes of approximately 50% (Narayan, K. M., et al. Jama (2003) 290:1884-1890). Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness and accounts for over 40% of the new cases of end-stage renal disease. The risk of heart disease and stroke is two to four times higher, and the risk of lower extremity amputation is approximately 20 times higher, for people with diabetes than for those without the disease (Bjork, S. (2001) Diabetes Res Clin Pract 54 Suppl 1:S13-18). Despite its enormous burden on human health and on the global economy, few significant advances have been made over the last three decades in the therapeutic treatment of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, despite intense research efforts, the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes is not well understood.
There is an urgent need for effective treatments to reduce ER stress and/or lower blood glucose levels in obese and/or type II diabetic individuals.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide compositions and methods for reducing ER stress in obese and/or type II diabetic individuals.
It is a further object of the invention to provide compositions and methods for lowering blood glucose levels in obese and/or type II diabetic individuals.